MAMA QUILLA is the Inca Goddess of the moon. She is the daughter of Mama Cocha, Goddess of the sea, and sister/wife of Inti, God of the sun. Mama Quilla was worshipped in particular by women, because she ruled over menstrual cycles and marriage. While she was imagined in a human form, she was often represented by a disc made of either gold or silver--silver was considered to be Mama Quilla's tears fallen to earth. Their love for Mama Quilla made the Inca very afraid of lunar eclipses. They believed that the shadow on the moon was an animal attacking her, and they would throw weapons and yell at the animal to make it go away. Mama Quilla's name, which means "mother moon," is also seen as MAMA KILYA.